Car-door-operating mechanism



Feb. 6, 1923. '1,444,5230. A. QHRISTIANSON. 'I CAR DQOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

INVENTO Feb. 6, 1923.

A. CHRISTANSON. CAR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILED MAY 6| 1922.'

lNVENTO Patented Fels. fi,

en site@ l iat/in l para] i Aie.

ANnnnw onRrs'rinNsoN, or nUrLnn, rnNNsYLvANia, AssIeNon 'ro sraNnnnn. sfrnnr. can COMPANY, or rrr'rssnnen, rnNNsYLvnNiA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

CAB-DOOROFER.TING BIECHANISM.

Be it known that l, ANDREW CHMSTIAN- soN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Butler, in the county of lSutlei` and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Door0per ating Mechanism; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to car door operating mechanism` and has special reference to what'is commonly known as the Simonton door operating mechanism for hopper `bottomA ears. l p

In this Simonton*construction the operating shaft has a cam lever mounted thereon, a connecting bar attached to thel door, and having means on it for engaging thecam lever and a link connecting the bar with one arm of the cam lever, so that when the shaft is turned the door is closed by drawing on said bar until said bar passes over and beyond the shaft, the earn lever being drawn beyond the center so as to hold the door in closed position. When it is desired to release the door, the shaft is turned until the hand lever is thrown over the center, where upon it engages said bar, and in conjuction with the weight of the load the door is thrown open. 1n the operation of this device, however, the operator in turning the shaft was-liable to receive a severe shock when the cam lever was thrown beyond the center to open the door, as there was nothing to prevent the shaft from running wild, and the crank arm was liable to hit the operator and break his arm or inflict other injury.

' The object of my invention is to provide a simple arrangement by which such shock to the operator may be avoided and the wear and tear of the operating mechanism greatly relieved. y

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a section on the line 1 like vienT showing the door in its open posin tion; 3 is a transverse section of half of the car between the hopper doors; and Fi g. 4L is an enlarged end view of the ratchet mechanism.

In the drawing the numeral 2 designates center sills of an ordinary car construction with the hoppers 3 closed by the doors 4 hinged at 5 to the frame of the car.

The door operating shaft 6 is supported at is outer end in the bracket 7, and the said f shaft'has the ratchet wheel 8 engaged `by the pawl 9 to hold the `door in closed position. y

The shaft 6 is supported beneath the center sills 2 by the brackets 10 which are riveted to the flanges 11 of the center sills 60` and to the angles 12'secured to said center sills, the shaft6 being free to rotate in said i bearing brackets:

Loosely mounted on vthel shaft 6 between 'i the brackets 10 is the cam lever 13 which is 65 on the inside the annular grooves 18 adapted 70 to receive the lugs 19 on .said shaft 6. i These lugs are securely attached to the shaft 6 and may be made of hardenedsteel to insert-in seats formed in said shaft andzthenf welded therein. In order to introduce the lugs 19` 75 into the annular grooves 18, the openings 2O in the hubs are provided through which the said lugs 19 are inserted'.

1Within the annular grooves 18 .are the lugs 21 formed integra-l with the hubs 16 80 and 17 and in normal position when the doors are closed the 'lugs 19 are in engagement with the lugs 21 on the left side therey l of, as shown in Fig. 1.

Links 22 are pivotally connected tothe 85y arm l of thecam lever,the opposite ends of said links being pivotally connected to the hooked end portion 23 of the bar 24C.

The outer end of the bar 2e is connected to the eye-bolt 25 held inthe bracket 26 by the 96 l nut 27, the bracket 26 being secured to the channel bar 28 extending in the outer edge of the door andy connecting up a pair of hopper doorsone on each side of the car.

The bar 24; has lthe lug 29 formed thereon 95 in the path of the eccentric cam portion 1 4. of thel cam lever, and is adapted to be engaged'by said cam lever when the shaft is turned, and said camlever acts to force the bar backwardly to aid in the opening 'of 100` the door.

l/Vhen the door is closed the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 1, and when v it is desired to open the door the operator applies'a crank to the outer end of the 105 shaft 6, and throwing the pawl 9 out of engagement with the ratchet 8 turns the shaft 6 in the proper'direction.` rlhis turning of the shaft will move the lugs 19 around in the annular grooves `18 v'until said lugs en- 11o vgage the opposite sides et the lugs 2l,

whereupon by further movement the cam lever will be rotated on the shaft Vo and when thrown beyond the center the eccentric portion 1.4 Will engagel thev lug 29 on the bar24, and that, in conjunction with the load in the oar, will throw the door into open position. l'n .moving the car to open position the cam lever and the links 22 will assume the position shown in Fig., 2 With the door in Wide-open position. this construction it is only necessary 'for the operator to move the shaft Suntil the lugs 1Q engage the lugs 2l and move the cam lever beyond the center point, whereupon the cam lever, being free to-'rota'te on the shaft 6, the opening ot the door takes place Without any further rotation ot the shaft 6, and consequently no jar or strain. is transmitted to 'the operator who has holo` of the crank by which he has turned the shaft 6 to effect the above result. As a consequence all danger of the shaft 6 running Wild and the crank from doing injury to the operatorie avoided.

`What I claim is:

lf'ln a hopper-bottom car, the combinanation of a hopper door hinged. thereto, an operating shaft, a cam-lever loosely mounted on said shaft having a hub portion with an annular groove formed therein, a projection on said shaft engaging said groove, a lug on the inner face of said hub adapted to be engaged by said projection on said shaft, and connections between said came lever and said door. l y

2. ln a hopper-bottom car, the combination of a hopper door hinged thereto, an op erating shaft, a earn-lever loosely mounted on said shaft having a hub portion With an annular groove formed therein, a projection on said shaft engagingsaid groove, a lug on the inner tace of saidvhub adapted to be engaged by said projection on said shaft, a bar connected to the door, and a link connecting said bar with the arm of said cam-lever.

3. ln a hopper-bottom ear, the combination of a. hopper door hinged thereto, an operating shaft, a cam-lever loosely mounted on said shaft having hub portions at each sine thereof with annular grooves formed therein, projections on vsaid shalt engaging said grooves, lugs on the innerfaees of said hub portions adapted to be engaged by said projections on said shaft and connections between said eam-lever and said door.

ln testimony Where l, the said ANDEW Cr-rnIsTIANsoN, have hereunto set my hand.

ANDREN CHRISTIANSON. 

